Narcissus

The story of Narcissus from Greek mythology revolves around the handsome Narcissus who upon seeing his own reflection in a pool of water becomes smitten and falls hopelessly in love with his own reflection. Nothing can tear him away from this and depending upon the version you read he passes away from a broken heart or commits suicide out of desperation from his unrequited love.

The Narcissus myth at its heart is a warning against the perils of same sex attraction and pathologizes the connection between homoerotic desire, death and narcissism.

Throughout Literature, TV and Film one of the most pervasive stereotypes regarding the LGBTQIA+ community is the “Bury Your Gay” trope. In this trope the Queer characters tend to die or meet some other type of unhappy or tragic ending, often just after they come out and before they can have any form of real connection, love or intimacy. As such the story of Narcissus is one of the earliest examples of this trope and serves as a warning to traditional heteronormativity.